Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) are coming to West Ealing starting this week. West Ealing Neighbours will be running three polls across the six-month trial implementation period to gauge residents’ views and whether views change over time.
Our first poll is here and will stay open until Sunday 6th September. Once all three polls have been completed we will use the results as part of our submission to the Council about the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in West Ealing.
Polls are good idea, but will tend to get response from strong anti scheme element.
I will be a little inconvenienced on a few journeys, but on balance overall reduction in traffic worth it.
If only there had been a reduction in traffic.
Conscious that there had been no baseline traffic data gathered I did my own traffic count on Boston Road.
Total motorised vehicle count Boston Road (outside Elthorne Park)
Date 28 August 2020 (post barrier installation) – 25 August 2020 (pre-barrier) figures in brackets for comparison.
Time 08:40-09:40 (08:33-09:33)
Northbound (towards Hanwell)
294 (241)
Southbound (towards Brentford)
287 (259)
‘Extra’ vehicles 81 or, had they all used the ‘rat-runs’ just over one vehicle every five minutes on each of the six blocked roads.
Total cyclists in this period. FOUR (THREE)!
Lack of pre consulting has not been good for support or community spirit. Whilst I agree that we have to lessen vehicle use in Ealing I think we need to start with number of vehicles per household and slapping higher payments on multi vehicle homes. I am both a car owner- for work and taking dogs for exercise away from restricting areas locally… and a bike owner although due to age and confidence don’t like to use roads now after a bad accident. Public transport cost and reliability restricts confidence. The number of accidents in Ealing involving cats continues to fall . I don’t feel pushing motor vehicles onto limited access routes is safe, community minded or acceptable. I think that the council needs to engage with active consultations with residents and drivers to look at improvements rather than pressing ahead with draconian measures to force folk to be inconvenienced. There has been no regard to why folk need cars to access day to day activity.
No
No I am not in favour. As a West Ealing resident I now have to go everywhere via the Uxbridge Road. How is that going to help pollination etc? I am all in favour of traffic calming schemes but this is madness.
I stand to be negatively affected by extra pollution on my busy residential “main” road – like others on the boundaries – caused by funnelling traffic out of the LTN areas by limited routes and with traffic needing to take the long way around past my home to get to destinations. Yesterday I realised that the “different” smell in the air while I worked from home was pollution from vehicles and had to close my windows. This morning, I could taste the pollution. I am just one of thousands of people who live on already-busy roads who are stand to lose the most as the 6-month trial of LTNs continues. Some people believe traffic will “evaporate” from our roads. I do not have the same faith that it will happen and do not want to be collateral damage in an exercise which ignores the needs of those who live on busy roads in favour of those who live in LTNs, and makes winners and losers of those in the LTNs. These neighbourhoods and their (quiet) traffic conditions are the result of incremental change. The LTNs dramatically disrupt people’s lives and lower the quality of life for long-term residents who suddenly find themselves the losers. I don’t have a car and I live in a busy area. People on the boundary roads are not being advised by the Council. Nor are we being consulted. Our communities stretch beyond the lines of streets on a map, yet the LTN schemes are divisive, separating neighbourhoods and giving some preferential treatment over others. They are environmental injustice in practice.
I love this action. First steps towards much needed change. Hopefully convincing drivers that there are alternatives to driving?
My bike easily passed through each of the barriers on my ride today. My journey took the same amount of time. Maybe less as I had a bit more confidence on the road.
To anyone inconvenienced by an additional journey time maybe it’s worth adding a little more and finding a more active way to get from A to B.
Beyond ridiculous scheme! Additional pollution, longer journeys, traffic redirected to already busy roads, longer bus journeys, access for emergency services restricted, waste of council tax funds, abuse of power. NO!
No
Terrible scheme will ruin the lives of normal people who need to drive around Ealing. It will increase traffic and the main roads and public transport wont be able to cope. Also segregates established communities
Nothing the council has done has upset me more than this. It seems to lack any understanding of what it means to be an older resident. Cycling & walking are great if you’re young and able-bodied. I too enjoy walking, but I can’t do it with heavy shopping. I’m also too far away from the nearest bus stop or tube station to make abandoning my car a viable option. What with the Chiswick road closures and parking removal, and now this, I feel trapped and somewhat discriminated against.
I feel for you and other residents in a similar position. This scheme seems to lack coherence. A solution to a “problem” where none existed. Now we do have real problems created by the scheme. West Ealing Is going to lose trade as no one can now just quickly pop over unless they use the main roads or go the long way round thereby adding to queuing polluting traffic lines. A sad day
No from me,my street is so noisy now and who is God that decides who dies from all the extra car pollution & quietness versus those who live in peace & clean air